NYC Fashion Week's First Transgender Designer

In a major move forward for inclusivity within the fashion industry, New York Fashion Week debuted their first ever transgender designer.

Showcasing her brand ‘No Sesso’ in New York this week, LA-based designer Pierre Davis became the first openly transgender designer to show a collection at fashion week.

Founded in 2015, Davis’ brand ‘No Sesso’ is agender and shows in chapters rather than collections. Her whimsical designs, which blend traditional gendered codes of dress, have won over Erykah Badu and Kelela amongst its many A-list fans.

The wardrobe mixed the formalism of work attire with sportswear, producing a jogging jacket with epaulettes, for example.

The CFDA (that’s Council of Fashion Designers), whom represent over 500 designers and creators and heavily supports diversity within the industry, announced the ‘No Sesso’ show two months ago, stating that it would be ‘making history.’

In an industry that has traditionally been equally a safe haven for creatives and conflictingly exclusive, the championing of transgender designers is long overdue.

Davis told CFDA that she hopes ‘No Sesso’’will inspire people of all intersectional identities are given a fighting chance regardless of their identity. The playing field isn’t level in the world, and it is even more difficult in fashion.’

Although this is a positive step for representation in the fashion industry as a whole, Davis is keen not to let tokenism dominate her designs. ‘I just want to show the work. I am just humble and happy that I got to show at Fashion Week.’